


Pumpkin Spice

by orphan_account



Series: Love At One Night Stand [2]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Alternate Universe, First Dates, Fluff, M/M, celebrity nepotism, established relationships - Freeform, pumpkin spice lattes as a courting ritual, service dog, sort of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-26
Updated: 2017-07-26
Packaged: 2018-12-07 07:26:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11618802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: “Okay how stoned is he?” Eric asked, hesitating even as Jack started toward the car. “I don’t really want to die at the hands of some stoned dude who thinks he’s some Mary Poppins character.”Jack chuckled, his hand drifting along the side of the SUV til he found the handle. He wrenched it open, then stepped aside. “I made him sober up before we left. I mean, it’s not the most posh date. Just Annie’s, but I wanted to be the first to buy you the Pumpkin coffee thing.”





	Pumpkin Spice

**Author's Note:**

> As per sequel request- This one came from ohjustletmewriteinpeace on tumblr- who suggested first dates at Annie's with students who come and interrupt Jack and Bitty's date. It's really just a short, silly thing and I think at one point I sound a little bit like a service dog PSA which whoops, but I can't help myself because just...please don't distract service dogs. I think most of us here on tumblr know this, but you'd be surprised how many people IRL do not.
> 
> Anyway, I've another one in the works I'll post in a few days.

Stopping at the kerb, Eric’s eyebrows shot up toward his hairline at the sight of Shitty in the front seat of an SUV, a cabbie hat perched on his head, a little off-kilter, and a briar pipe clenched between his teeth. When he glanced over, he grabbed the brim of his hat, tipping it forward as he said in one of the worst English accents Bitty had ever heard, “Evenin’ gov-nah.”

Eric turned to Jack, who was holding Lola’s harness with one hand, his other splayed across his face as he sighed. “This is…your doing?”

“I asked him to be my driver, because he _owes me_ ,” Jack said, his voice rising in volume a bit at the end there. “I didn’t ask him to do…” He waved his hand vaguely in the direction of the car, “whatever the hell this is.”

“Oh…kay,” Eric said, then turned to Jack and braced himself on Jack’s shoulder as he leant in for a kiss. Jack happily obliged, using his now-free hand to cup Eric’s cheek, his thumb gently brushing along his cheekbone. “Mm. That was more of the welcome I was hoping.”

Jack sighed, clutching the harness tight enough to make his knuckles turn yellow-white. “Yeah. I uh. I wanted it to be romantic, not _ridiculous_ ,” he said, leaning toward the window of the SUV, raising his voice again.

“Come on, then,” Shitty called, keeping up with the accent. “Let’s have a little jaunt round the block, shall we.”

“Okay how stoned is he?” Eric asked, hesitating even as Jack started toward the car. “I don’t really want to die at the hands of some stoned dude who thinks he’s some Mary Poppins character.”

Jack chuckled, his hand drifting along the side of the SUV til he found the handle. He wrenched it open, then stepped aside. “I made him sober up before we left. I mean, it’s not the most posh date. Just Annie’s, but I wanted to be the first to buy you the Pumpkin coffee thing.”

Eric gaped at him, even as he slid up into the seat, and shifted so both Jack and Lola could get in. “It’s not even the season, sweetpea.”

“I know,” Jack said, and leant in expectantly. Eric was drawn to his mouth, as though there was nothing else in the world he could do _except_ kiss Jack Zimmermann. “I had them order some special, just for you. One of the perks of not only being a popular professor, but also having famous parents.”

“Oh my god, and that’s what you do with your nepotism,” Eric murmured, but he curled his fingers into Jack’s collar and kissed him until Shitty pulled to a stop, just a few metres away from Annie’s front door.

“I’ll just be driving down the block, gents,” Shitty said, tipping his hat again as soon as they’d all disembarked.

“Oh boy,” Eric said, his voice quiet as he leant into Jack’s side. “He’s really going to be on this all night, isn’t he?”

Jack snorted. “Probably.” He turned toward the café doors and sighed. “How busy does it look?”

Eric peered in through the window, then shrugged. “Not too bad. Couple people at the counter, plenty of free tables.” He startled a little when Jack took his hand, and there was a rush in him when he realised this was their first date. At least, date outside of the house. Things had been busy for the both of them, and Eric’s classes varied in times so widely that usually he was too exhausted for more than a quick take away, and quick handjob in Jack’s bed before passing out.

But things had calmed since, and even though it was just coffee, it felt…important.

Jack seemed to agree, as he squeezed Eric’s hand briefly, then reached for the door and held it.

“Lord,” Eric muttered as he walked past him. “Are you going to pull my chair out for me, too?”

“Isn’t that what people do on dates? It’s been a while for me, but last time I checked, it was romantic.”

Blushing, Eric pressed his palms to his cheeks, and nudged Jack carefully as they queued up to the counter. “Charmer. Anyway you know what you want here, or you need me to read anything off for you?”

“I’m going with my usual,” Jack said with a shrug.

“Why am I not surprised,” Eric muttered, but let their fingers brush together again as the barista at the counter eyed them.

Before Eric could say a word, Jack splayed his free hand on the counter top and leant in. “So, I was informed there was a supply of pumpkin flavouring for my boyfriend’s latte?”

The barista’s eyes widened, and she nodded almost frantically. “Ah. Yeah, yes. Sir um. We have it ready.”

Jack slid his card across the counter with a tiny, smug grin, and Eric felt his heart beating so wildly he wondered if it was this bad now, how was he going to survive a proposal. Then he realised where his head had gone and he bit his lip to bring himself back to centre.

“Black coffee for me,” Jack said. “And two of those doggie bagels. The peanut butter flavoured.”

Their orders taken, Eric spotted a table near the back of the café, which would give them as much privacy as Annie’s allowed, and offered a little shelter for Lola to hunker under the table so she was less likely to be bothered by others. True to his word, Jack did pull out Eric’s chair, then kissed him, just a brush of lips before pulling away.

“Couche,” Jack ordered Lola, who obediently curled up between Eric’s feet. “Trés bien.” Jack gave her a scratch, then reached out for his own chair and sat. He laid one hand on the table, palm up, his eyebrows up expectantly, and when Eric tentatively pressed his own palm over Jack’s, he was met with a smile. “So.”

Eric couldn’t help a laugh. “So. This is definitely the most romantic coffee date I’ve ever been on, Jack. Thank you.”

Jack’s cheeks bloomed a gentle red, and he turned their palms, using the edges of his nails to draw lines over Eric’s fingers. “At some point we’ll do something nicer, eh? When we have time.”

“Yes I…yeah,” Eric managed. He was feeling overwhelmed, in the best way, really. Jack had taken him on a date, and called him boyfriend, and had gone out of his way to use his parents’ celebrity to get him a pumpkin spice latte in the middle of spring term and well…no one, not in Eric’s pathetic history of dating, had ever gone to so much effort. It was strange, and difficult to feel like he was worth it, but he was going to take it, if Jack was offering. He got lost, for another minute, in the gentle lilt of Jack’s grin. “So um…what exactly happened that Shitty owed you?”

Jack huffed a laugh. “Let’s just say it involved some emails, several beers, and the roof of the haus. I’m sworn to secrecy, but he owes me at least a dozen favours, and this is just the start.”

“Hmm,” Eric said, letting his fingers drag in and out between Jack’s. “I’d say get him to make us breakfast in bed one of the nights I stay over, but I’m not entirely sure I’d trust him in the kitchen.”

Jack couldn’t help a laugh. “No, that’s true. I don’t think that’s the way I want to go out, you know?”

Eric wrinkled his nose, but before he could say anything, one of the other baristas came over with two mugs—coffee for Jack, the latte for Eric, and a small bag with the doggie bagels.

“Can I give your dog one?” the hopeful barista asked.

Jack shook his head, and his smile had gone just a little bit tight. “Ah no, sorry. She can’t have treats while she’s on duty. But she’ll be very spoilt once we get home, I promise.”

The barista looked hesitant, almost like she was going to ask again, but she handed over the bag and went back to the counter.

“Happens a lot, doesn’t it?” Eric asked.

Jack sighed, shrugging as he touched the rim of his mug, then lifted it to take a sip. “It’s easy to forget how little education have in service dog training. It happens to me less now on campus, but when Lola comes to class with me when I have a new batch of freshman, it can be difficult.”

As though he had conjured them, two younger students took a cautious approach. “Professor Zimmermann,” the one on the left said, “I don’t mean to interrupt, I just wanted to say hi. Um…oh and um it’s Sadie? From your Early Civ class on Thursdays?”

Jack’s face softened as he turned toward her a little. “It’s fine, Sadie. How are you getting along with the paper?”

“Oh not bad. My girlfriend and I were just at the library and I thought I’d just come say hi.” Sadie nudged the girl next to her, who startled out of her daze and suddenly crouched down.

“Oh, can I pet your dog?”

“Ah,” Jack said, a little sharply. “Best not to while she’s working. If you ever see us at the park without her harness though, have at it. She loves pets.”

They left shortly after, and Eric couldn’t help a tiny sigh as Jack chuckled into his mug. “Jinxed myself, eh?”

“Has to be stressful?”

“Only when I’m walking. I’ve hit a pole three times because people tried to give her treats. It’s…not fun.”

Eric grimaced, and squeezed Jack’s fingers as he took a sip of his coffee, then gave a contented sigh. “Lord have mercy, I’d marry you right now just for this.” Then he clamped his jaw shut, horrified, his cheeks flaming red. “I mean…I um…”

“Just the coffee talking?” Jack offered, but his face was stretched in a very wry grin, and it made Eric wish he could just melt into the chair right then and there.

“What would it take for you to forget I said that on our first dang date?” Eric muttered.

“You’re out of your mind, Eric,” Jack said, his tone low now, and full of promise, “if you think for even a second I’m ever forgetting that.”

“Shitty did warn me about the chirps,” Eric said with a groan.

Jack laughed quietly, but it was fond, and his eyes were bright behind his thick lenses. “Did he also warn you that I’m a hundred and ten percent about everything? And that when I want something, I tend to go for it?”

“Tell me you’re not actually going to consider that a marriage proposal,” Eric said, now feeling half-hysterical, though he wasn’t sure if it was good or bad.

Jack let him stew a few more moments before he said, “Of course not. We’d need to meet each other’s parents first, and I certainly need to know how you hold up in the holiday post office queue.”

Smacking a hand over his face, Eric groaned, then gulped his coffee. “Between you and it bein’ late, I should not be having this much caffeine.” He glanced outside at the sun which was sinking slowly into the horizon. “How do you feel about a walk to the haus?”

“Depends,” Jack said, smiling now over the rim of his mug. “Are you staying all night?”

“If you want me to,” Eric replied, his own grin matching Jack’s now, anticipation replacing his humiliation.

Jack stretched a leg under the table until it brushed against Eric’s. “Believe me, Eric. I want you to.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you have any suggestions for this universe or in general just want to come shout at me on tumblr, feel free to do so. [angryspace-ravenclaw](https://angryspace-ravenclaw.tumblr.com)


End file.
